The Fancifull Story

by Susan Stroh

Terry August gave birth to Fancifull Gifts on her friend's kitchen table in 1987, where she created gift baskets for a few friends that insisted on paying her for her works of art. Fast forward twenty years and walk with me a half mile from her house, past Paramount Studios in Hollywood, down Melrose Avenue and inside her shop, and you will find that same kitchen table has a prominent place and is still in use.

Multiply her kitchen size by 20 and you get the size of their current space and, like being in an inviting kitchen at a party, you want to hang out. If you do what I did and spend nearly a day, you will know that Fancifull Gifts is a TV series. (Not literally, but could be.) The atmosphere is not only conducive to creativity, as a dozen employees flurry around with gourmet foods and flowers, but the communication flies freely and stirring music enlivens. Work? More like spirit of play under deadlines. And they do make those tough deadlines. Once they had to produce over $100,000 in baskets in less than 2 weeks from design, to procuring the products, manufacture and delivery. They did it! I think Fancifull enjoys challenges, and they always meet them.

UCLA Custom Gift Basket

Back to Terry: who is she and how did she become the founder and force behind Fancifull? The composite is colorful: she hails from a large Italian family in Northern California, went to UCLA, became a roadie for a talented musician, Wally August, and then studied and practiced interior design, catering and how to be a great mom to a son, a daughter, two cats and a dog! Wally August, musician, computer innovator, is now working 24/7 supporting his wife Terry at Fancifull. While Terry is founder, Wally and Terry give a warm, fuzzy meaning to the word partnership.

For one, they've been married 29 years. They've worked, raised their children, and traveled together in search of that je ne sais quoi - that piquant wine in Italy or that perfect goat cheese in France. Terry is an explosion of color and energy. Wally is Mr. Mellow. Together they give pleasure moments to their clients, a lot of business to their vendors and credence to the viewpoint that only the best will do. They don't settle for buying from a few distributors who have limited inventory, that would be too easy. They actively search out the best, dealing with small importers, tasting hundreds of wines and foods each year, and are determined to bring to their clients the best products the world has to offer. "We like products that speak to us, that represent and inform us about an area of the world. Whether it is a delicious cheese from France paired with the right wine or a perfect chocolate chip cookie, authenticity and great flavor is our ambition," Terry says.

Food Network Promotional Gift Basket

Fancifull is also one of the chosen few who make awards baskets. They've worked with the Motion Picture Academy, done the Emmys, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Image Awards and many more. The Food Network, surely picky about their food, chooses Fancifull for the many gift baskets they send out. Always up on the latest, Fancifull has created a whole line of green and organic products. "This is our planet and we have to start making changes. Even small ones can make a huge difference," explains Terry.

Explorers who seem to enjoy the road less traveled, it is always fun to catch up with these two and see what Fancifull has come up with this time.